Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new international airport in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, on Wednesday, marking a step forward in expansion of the country’s fast-growing aviation network.
Navi Mumbai International Airport is expected to begin operating in December and will make Mumbai the only metropolitan area in the world’s most populous country to have a second international airport. It aims to become a key passenger and cargo hub in Asia and to help ease congestion at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, one of the country’s busiest.
The airport built by the Adani Group for an estimated $2.2 billion is the latest project underscoring India’s push to modernize infrastructure and strengthen air connectivity as its economy grows and air travels surge.
Over the past decade, the government has opened and upgraded dozens of airports to link smaller cities and improve cargo movement, aiming to make air travel a key driver of economic growth. The number of airports in the country has increased to 160 from 74 in 2014, official data show.
“It’s a reflection of a nation that is growing,” Modi said in a speech.
Source : https://apnews.com/article/india-mumbai-airport-adani-modi-963a33171d903af4f29d188f250abfa0